A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
